I just finished reading The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. It is not my favorite Lewis book. That would be Till We Have Faces, which I first read in college and then within the last year, loving it both times for its mythological and allegorical themes. As for this book, I found myself reading rather absently. Perhaps that is the ploy of demons, which is the theme of the book. They never really want you to know what they are up to, and distraction is one of their greatest means of keeping humans off their scent. However, they did not succeed entirely. Certain passages caught my attention. Most likely because they were immediately applicable. Sounded too familiar. Sounded all too true. Yet Lewis warns, "Readers be advised to remember that the devil is a liar. Not everything that Screwtape says should be assumed to be true even from his own angle." (Lewis 1976, Preface) In other words, don't believe everything you read. But, do read it!
Tate Publishing and Enterprises
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-Psalms 68:11
Penny J Johnson Poetry Reading Event
Featuring Poems from The Last Time We Were Children
Date: April 28, 2008 Time: 4pm – 6pm
Bethel University
3900 Bethel Drive, St. Paul, MN
We hope to see you there!
Tate Publishing and Enterprises, LLC
Can’t make the event?
Go to www.tatepublishing.com to visit our online bookstore to get a copy!
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Tate Publishing and Enterprises
The Lord gave the Word; great was the company of those that published it.”
-Psalms 68:11
Penny J Johnson Poetry Reading Event
Featuring Poems from The Last Time We Were Children
Date: May 1, 2008 Time: 4pm – 6pm
Bethel University
3900 Bethel Drive, St. Paul, MN
We hope to see you there!
Tate Publishing and Enterprises, LLC
Can’t make the event?
Go to www.tatepublishing.com to visit our online bookstore to get a copy!
PLEASE NOTE
**************************************************************************************
This electronic mail message contains information that (a) is or may be CONFIDENTIAL, PROPRIETARY IN NATURE, OR OTHERWISE PROTECTED BY LAW FROM DISCLOSURE, and (b) is intended only for the use of the addressee(s) named herein, and (c) is protected by copyright and may not be displayed or shared with any other person other than the intended recipient. If you are not an intended recipient, please send an email immediately to publish@tatepublishing.com and take the steps necessary to delete the message completely from your computer system.
The kids and I have been reading some Easter books over the last three weeks. It has been a wonderful time of reflecting on Christ's sacrifice, learning more about Easter traditions, and thinking about the season in new ways.
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis: Of course, many are more familiar with this book after the Narnia movie and the upcoming Prince Caspian movie. But, I believe reading the book is always effective even if one has seen or is planning to see the movie version. If three boys can stay riveted during its reading, you know it's a good book! But, why during Easter? This story is an allegory about Christ's sacrifice. Younger children simply enjoy the fantasy side of this story, but there are greater truths for older children and adults to study that are spiritually fantastic!
Lilies, Rabbits, and Painted Eggs: The Story of the Easter Symbols by Edna Barth: I found this book to be incredibly helpful to me in understanding why we have certain Easter traditions. It was also a great opportunity to talk about how different cultures and religions celebrate spring. Some parental discretion may be needed if children are very young, but because of the balanced approach of the book it lends itself to providing wise interjections and valuable discussion.
At Jerusalem's Gate: Poems of Easter by Nikki Grimes: As a poet, I love incorporating poetry into my reading with the boys whenever I can. This book is very beautifully written and helps the reader see Christ's crucifixion from various perspectives. I highly recommend it.
Vinegar Boy by Alberta Hawse: We are still reading this book, but so far I recommend it. It is a fictional account of the Easter story told from the perspective of the Vinegar Boy who brought the bitter wine to the crucifixion. The book is very well-written and provides a new way of looking at this significant event in Christian history.
Happy reading and Happy Easter!
My laptop computer screen burned out two weeks ago. Consequently, I have had to remote access my computer from my husband's computer in the basement. It's left me limited time for writing, emailing, and blogging, but it has allowed me to gain a different perspective.
Our basement is a disaster! Many, many bags of toys have been dontated. There is still a lot of sorting to be done, but at least the process has begun.
I understand how it got this bad. I'm rarely down there. We call our basement "The Depths" or "The Man Cave" because my husband and boys spend the most time there. So I realized I need to have an active presence in this area of my home!
I gained insight about my husband, too. The lack of organization bothered me in just a few days. No wonder he doesn't feel like the rest of the house is in order! As I discarded way too many broken toys, I realized how disrespected his hard work is in providing for our family. Perhaps my children broke the toys, but I haven't been faithful in making sure they are picked up. I also discovered why his ear phones are so important to him. Hearing the stomping and jumping through the floor boards, I didn't know we were raising elephants!
What's my point? Sometimes a different perspective is needed to see what hasn't been done, to see what one can do about it, to see how someone else views the world. It has made me rethink a few things in my small world. Imagine what can happen in the bigger one!
In our homeschool, we are studying early colonization. We have been reading about those who came to this country because of religious persecution. Most often that persecution occurred when the political (and personal) agendas of the rulers mandated how its citizens could worship. Arguably, our country was also founded by those with profit in mind. No doubt there was abuse against those who lived here before Europeans arrived and those who would be brought to this country against their will and forced to work this land for the wealth of others not themselves. We have fought wars to gain our constitutional freedom for our right to live under our own governance, to establish our own nation, to free those whose rights were ignored, to give land to those who had it stolen. Sometimes we have succeeded, and more often we have failed. But, the goal to maintain our human rights has been behind our drive to fight for not just our country’s freedom, but also the freedoms of other countries.
I learned about this goal while attending public school. My husband also attended public school. Up until this school year, two of our three children attended public school. So why are we home educating? It is not because we desired a solely religious curriculum for our children, although that is a benefit of homeschooling we enjoy. It is not because of political opinions, although we take time to discuss current events with our boys to help them make wise decisions and to be contributing citizens. It is because a system promising to provide the best education for our children failed. We watched our eight-year-old autistic child collapse further and further into self-deprecating behavior because an educator referred to his best effort in a derogatory way. We realized our ten-year-old was being bullied on the playground without any teacher intervention. In both cases, we as parents had to intervene. We wanted public education to work for our children. But, unfortunately, we found that public education isn’t working for every student.
In light of why we chose to homeschool and what we have been studying this week, I am saddened, frustrated, and concerned to hear about the recent court decision in California to make homeschooling in that state illegal without specific credentials. Although my family is not directly affected, I know that rulings like this can cause ramfications in other states. More importantly, this ruling could force many California families doing what is best for their children to send them into a system that may not meet their educational needs. I saw the tear-filled eyes of my oldest son when he heard of this news. I heard him ask “Where is our freedom?” In the coming days, I hope my answer will be our nation’s leaders remembered our country was founded by many seeking a new start and a better way of life for their children. I hope I will never have to tell him “I wish I knew.”
For more information: http://www.hslda.org/hs/state/ca/200803030.asp
Last week I met with one of my book clubs to discuss a favorite classic, Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. I first read this book three or four years ago. It can be somewhat daunting to reread books, especially suspense novels once the "who done it" is revealed. But, there is more to Rebecca than a murder mystery because of its characterization and its setting. There is something about a heroine without a first name. There is something about an austere, melancholy man who woes a nobody-woman into marrying him after a few drives in his car. There is something about an enchanting woman so many admired who dies mysteriously. There is something about a suspicious, grieving maidservant that exhales her chilling words through the page. There is something about Manderley, the beautiful estate of secrets. There is even more to say about the transformation of each character throughout, for all suspense stories should protray characters who are not what they seem. Some may say this book is like so many others, perhaps predictable. Yet, it may be argued that others have been inspired by Du Maurier's plot. But, then again she may have borrowed a few elements from Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. (Incidentally, Jane Eyre was the first classic I read as a child. I read it again recently and rekindled that first love.) Either way, there is something about this story, something timeless, troubling, and delciously thrilling. If you have never read it, do! And read Jane Eyre while you're at it!
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